Breath of Life
by ConciergeOfCrime
Summary: They had nearly lost each other. Twice. There was only one thing that could comfort them, to feel how very much alive they both still were. Extended ending to ep 3x05. One Shot. M-Rating. Lizzington.


**The Blacklist: Breath of Life**

 **Pairing: Red/Liz**

 **Rating: M**

 _ **Summary: They had nearly lost each other. Twice. There was only one thing that could comfort them, to feel how very much alive they both still were. Extended ending to ep 3x05. One Shot. M-Rating. Lizzington.**_

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Red stepped through the door of the newly acquired safe house, tired and weary after a trying day and night which he spent at Dembe's side in the make-shift emergency medical centre his people had arranged. It was very early, just before dawn when he had returned home, not wanting to leave Dembe's side until he was certain his dearest and oldest friend was stable and out of the woods, at least. Once inside he draped his jacket over the railing of the staircase and headed up the stairs in search of the other person he couldn't begin to fathom a life without; Lizzie.

Reaching the first bedroom door he slowly pushed it open, careful not to disturb her, hoping she was asleep after the day they had both had.

He had nearly lost her. Twice. He will never get the image of her laying on that table in front of him out of his mind, and he will die before he ever lets it happen again. He doesn't even want to contemplate it now, what Solomon could have or would have done to her had Dembe not shown up in time.

Glancing inside the room he lets out a soft sigh as he sees her; curled up on the large bed with her back to him, still in the clothes she was wearing the previous day, likely too tired to bother to change out of them. He couldn't blame her, he hadn't had the time or energy to change out of his, either. Seeing that she was safe and sound he turned to head back out to retire to his own bedroom when her soft voice called out.

"Red?" It was barely a whisper, but it was enough to stop him in his tracks.

"Yes Lizzie, just me" he answered her, turning back around to face her, his breath catching in his throat as his gaze fell upon her now that she had turned to face him at the door, sitting up against the headboard. She still had the blood from earlier smeared across the top of her chest; part of their ruse to have the world believe that Elizabeth Keen was assassinated. It looked as if she'd tried at a haphazard attempt to wipe it off, maybe with a towel or wet cloth, but she hadn't gotten it all, it was still faintly there, covering the top of her chest from under her partially unbuttoned top, and reaching almost to her throat. His heart broke all over again at the sight of her.

"You should sleep" he managed softly. "It's very late. Or, early, depending on how you want to look at it"

"I tried to sleep but... I just... I..." she couldn't get the words out and tears welled up in her eyes.

"Oh, Lizzie" he let out in a shaky breath before crossing the room in an instant. He dropped himself onto a seated position on the side of the bed and she immediately scrambled into his lap, her arms wrapping around his neck as his circled around her back, holding her to him as he gently rocked her in his arms. He knew what she was feeling, because he felt it too.

"Lizzie, sweetheart, I am so sorry. I'm so sorry" he kept chanting his apology against her hair, his hands lightly caressing over her back while she let out quiet sobs into his shoulder.

"Dembe?" She finally asked, finding her voice and bringing her head slightly back so she could see his face.

"He's stable" Red sighed. "I stayed with him until he woke. We spoke for a minute or so but then I let him be to get his rest. It will be some time, but he is expected to make a full recovery. He's in excellent hands, I assure you"

She nodded. "I'm glad he's OK"

"I'm glad _you're_ OK" Red responded, bringing a hand up to stroke through her hair, then softly down the side of her face, cupping her cheek in his warm palm.

"You really should shower, Lizzie. Wash this blood off of you, you will feel better, I promise"

"I know, I was going to but..." she let her words trail off, gently shaking her head at how ridiculous her next words would sound, even in her own head.

"What?" Red gently pried.

"I was... afraid. To shower, alone in the house I mean. It's stupid..." she shook her head again but he gently cupped her chin in his hand, forcing her to look at him.

"Hey" he said softly. "It's not. You barely escaped death twice today, I'd be more worried if you weren't afraid, Lizzie. Come" he said, gently coaxing her off his lap until she stood in front of him and he stood as well, taking her by the hand and leading her out of the bedroom to a bathroom across the hall.

After ushering her inside he stepped past her and reached inside the large glass enclosure and turned the nozzles on, hot spray coming out of the shower head and immediately building up steam inside. He reached a hand under the water, testing to ensure it wasn't too hot before stepping back and facing her again.

"You could use a shower yourself" she mentioned and he let out a small chuckle.

"Yes, I'd say so. But, ladies first, I insist. You should have everything you need in there" he told her, an attempt at a comforting smile gracing his lips. "I'll be just outside the door"

He stepped past her to exit the room when her hand reached out and grabbed his, halting him in his tracks once more. Her fingers tugged on his and he let out a sigh as he turned to face her.

The look in her eyes told him all he needed to know; she was still frightened, didn't want him out of her sight and he couldn't blame her as he felt the same way. Her gaze and body language gave off a silent plea and he worked his jaw slightly as he regarded her.

"Are you sure?" His voice was a low rumble, barely heard over the noise of the running shower. She nodded deftly in response and dropped his hand as he took a step closer to her. He searched her eyes for any resistance but when he found none brought his hands up to begin unbuttoning her shirt, wincing slightly when it fell open and the blood stains ran darker at the middle of her chest, she must not have reached there when attempting to clean herself off earlier.

He pushed the shirt gently off her shoulders and held in a breath as her hands came up to begin undoing his vest and following with the buttons of his dress shirt. Once his own shirt and vest lay completely open he reached both hands around her back to unclasp her bra, gently sliding the straps down her shoulders until it fell to pool on the floor at their feet, along with her discarded shirt. His hands went to the waistband of her pants next, flicking the button open and sliding the zipper down before he knelt down on one knee in front of her, tugging the fabric down her legs, her hand on his shoulder to steady herself as she stepped out of them. He stood then and she reached for his belt, unfastening it and pulling it through the loopholes of his pants before letting it fall to the floor. She undid his button and zipper as he had done hers and pushed his trousers past his hips and he shucked out of them, kicking them off to the side.

She reached next for his shoulders, wanting to push his shirt and vest free from him and his right hand came up to cover her left one resting on his shoulder.

"Lizzie, there's something-"

"Red, it's OK. I know" she let out softly and he looked at her a little confused. How? How had she known? He supposed he hadn't been as careful around her as he thought... She knew about his scars. Did she know how he got them? Well, she wasn't stupid, he assumed she'd figured it out by now.

"I don't want to talk about it now" was all she responded with and he could do little but nod at her request.

She pushed the shirt and vest free from his arms until they were both standing in just their underwear and Red also still in his socks. She kept her gaze locked on his as she reached for the waistband of her panties and pushed them down her legs, stepping out of them when they reached the floor and he followed suit right after her, pulling off his boxers followed by his socks so they both had no barriers left. She turned away from him, pulling open the door to the shower and stepping in first, Red immediately entering behind her.

They let the hot spray wash over them for a few long moments until Red reached for the soap. He offered it to her first but she instead turned her back to him, turning her head to glance at him over her shoulder in silent request. He nodded before bringing his hand holding the soap up to begin rubbing it in small circles over her shoulders and back, working up a rich lather. He continued, bending down to get the backs of each of her legs, running both hands over them to work in the soap before standing upright again. When he finished with the back side of her she turned to face him and allowed the water to wash away the suds of her back while he began soaping up her arms next, to her neck, and the top of her chest. The white bar of soap in his hand began to turn red as he washed the blood from the her chest and down the valley of her breasts and the water at their feet turned a light shade of crimson as it trailed to the shower drain. His eyes were focused solely on the movement of his hands as he continued washing down her rib cage and abdomen, getting dangerously closer to her waistline. However incredibly intimate this was, he maintained his composure to refrain from it becoming anything sexual in nature. That wasn't what she was seeking from him and as much as her body under his hands tempted him, he wouldn't dare cross any unwelcomed lines with her. So he knelt down again, bypassing her most intimate area and focusing instead on her legs, washing all the way down to her feet down one leg and up the other until she was cleaned and he stood up again, offering her a weak smile.

She reached out then, taking the bar of soap from his hands and returning the favour by washing him down, starting with his front. She rubbed the soap over the soft hair at his chest then ran her free hand over it to work the lather into his skin. When she finished at his chest she continued trailing the soap downwards to his stomach, rubbing her hands over him again when his hands came out to catch her wrists before she could retreat any lower. She looked up at him then and noticed his closed eyes and how his breathing looked like it took considerable effort to remain steady.

 _Oh._

He opened his eyes after a moment and offered her a small frown. "I should... probably take it from here" he told her, his voice a low rumble and she nodded in understanding, taking a step back from him. He quickly washed the rest of his body and stood under the now cooling spray of the shower to rinse the remainder of soap from himself before reaching past Lizzie to turn off the taps. Opening the sliding glass door he stepped out, grabbed a towel off the nearby shelf and quickly dried himself off before holding the towel out to her to step into. He wrapped the towel around her shoulders and began slowly working it up and down her arms to dry her off, then to her chest, over her breasts, down her stomach and finally down her legs.

Satisfied that they were both dried off Liz took Red by the hand and led him out of the bathroom and back to the bedroom he had originally found her in. Once inside they crossed the room to the bed and she reached down to throw back the blankets and sheets before climbing inside with Red following right behind her. He spooned his naked body up behind hers, her back to his front and draped an arm over her middle to hold her to him as he breathed in her scent, found comfort in it.

 _Lizzie._

Having himself pressed against the beautiful creature in his arms however began to cause his body to react in ways he wished it hadn't; his member stiffening against his control and pressing into her lower back, surely noticeable to his bed companion.

"Lizzie, I'm sorry, I..." he began to push back from her but she grabbed onto the arm draped over her waist and pulled him back into place, nestled snugly against her back.

"I'll go. Lizzie, please, tell me to go" he gently begged her, his eyes closing again in an attempt to compose himself.

"Don't" she told him softly, clutching his hand in hers to ensure he would stay put. "Don't leave me" she whispered before shuffling a few inches up the bed until they were better aligned and she lifted her left leg, draping it over his behind her and he gasped when his member brushed against her folds, immediately noticing how wet she was, coating him in her own arousal.

"Lizzie" he managed. His eyes were still closed, his hips rocked instinctively against her and he was breathing heavily through his nose now in an effort to gain some control over himself but _God,_ she felt good. "I can't"

"You _can,_ Red. I'm still here. We both are" she breathed, her breath coming in short gasps. "You can touch me" she continued, bringing his left hand up from her stomach to cup her breast. " _Feel_ me. Do you feel me, Red?"

"Yes" it came out as a strangled noise from the back of his throat.

She slid her hand from his then and he continued caressing her breast, kneading the flesh gently in his palm and rolling her hardened peak between his thumb and index finger and she rocked herself backward, craving more contact from him.

"I feel you too"

"Lizzie" he let out another strangled groan as he hit right at her centre, his member throbbing in anticipation, begging for entrance.

" _Red_ " his name left her lips in a breathy gasp as she shifted herself slightly, bringing her leg up higher so it hooked over his hip and putting him at an even better angle, his entire length now sliding into her soaked folds, the tip of him brushing against her clit and causing her to buck against him, she stretched her body out and brought her hand to wrap around his head behind her bringing him impossibly closer.

"Mmmmhhhh. Lizzie" he groaned, his face now buried between her neck and shoulder as she held him to her, her fingernails lightly scraping through his short cropped hair.

"Red," she continued rocking against him, each stroke of his hardness against her slick folds bringing her to a newly heightened level of arousal. "I want you inside me, please" she begged him between ragged breaths. "Please, I need to feel you. I need to feel you _with me_ " it came out almost as a sob, a desperate plea.

He let out a shuddering breath at her request. He couldn't imagine denying her now. He needed this too, he realized. Needed to be _alive_ , with her.

He shifted himself slightly behind her, bringing his face up until his cheek rested against hers, removing the hand from her breast and bringing it to her hip and with a push of his hips he sank himself inside her warm centre, eliciting a throaty moan to escape the back of her throat.

"God, Lizzie!" he breathed, the hand on her hip gripping so tight he's certain it will leave a bruise.

He began to rock his hips against her, slowly pulling himself out and sliding back in in long, smooth strokes. He knew he wouldn't last long but he also never wanted this feeling to end, wanted to stay buried deep inside her forever, if only he could.

"Yes, Red. Oh, _God,_ you feel so good" she gasped turning her head a fraction closer so her lips were just a breath away from his and it only edged him on, his hips bucking into her harder, faster, his rhythm faltering and both of them teetering on the edge of release.

"Come with me, Red" she begged breathlessly against his lips, her hips rocking recklessly into his now, meeting his every thrust. "Come inside me. _Ah!_ Please, I want you to come inside me. _Oh. Oh God. Red!_ "

And with his name on her lips she shattered around him. He closed the rest of the distance between them latching his mouth onto hers, kissing her soundly and swallowing the rest of her moans and it was enough to send him over the edge as well, emptying himself inside of her with a few final thrusts until their hips stilled, their chests however still heaving frantically in the aftermath of their release, she could feel his heart racing against her back and her own beating so wildly she felt it in her ears.

Regretfully releasing their kiss, he brought his face back to look at her, smiling gently when her gaze locked with his. He leaned forward, gently capturing her lips in another soft kiss before releasing them and resting his forehead against hers, their breathing still coming in short gasps of air and both bodies still joined together below.

"If I ever lost you," he began, wearily shaking his head against hers but she was quick to interrupt him from even finishing the thought.

"Shhhh" she soothed, pressing her lips to his to silence him in a gentle kiss.

"You have me, Red. You have me"

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 _A/N: Even though episode 3x05 was like something straight out of fanfiction anyway, I decided it needed a smutty ending all the same. Hope you enjoyed it, please let me know in a review :)_


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